The examples (http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/demo_4.3/transparent.2.gnu)
from gnuplot do not work because pngcairo is unkown (using 4.4.0 RC 1). 
Using png as outputformat I do not get any transparency.
Even the Windows terminal does not show any transparency.

So, how do I enable transparent fill styles in gnuplot?

Matthias

Matthias Pospiech wrote:

> The examples
> (http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/demo_4.3/transparent.2.gnu) from
> gnuplot do not work because pngcairo is unkown (using 4.4.0 RC 1).

If your system didn't build the pngcairo terminal, it is because some
support library for cairo must be missing.  You can probably determine
exactly what the problem is by close inspection of the messages output
by ./configure and the details in configure.log

> Using png as outputformat I do not get any transparency. 

It definitely does work, and has been working for several years now.
The set of png demo plots on the web site show that.
Did you remember to use the "truecolor" option?
   set term png truecolor

> Even the Windows terminal does not show any transparency.

"even"?  The windows terminal does not support transparency.
It would be great if someone wants to contribute a patch that supports it,
but so far no one has done so. 

> So, how do I enable transparent fill styles in gnuplot?

It works in most terminals that could possibly support it.
PostScript as a language does not, for instance.
The Windows terminal is the only exception I can think of that could
support transparency but does not.

> Matthias

sfeam schrieb:
> Matthias Pospiech wrote:

>> Using png as outputformat I do not get any transparency. 
> 
> It definitely does work, and has been working for several years now.
> The set of png demo plots on the web site show that.
> Did you remember to use the "truecolor" option?
>    set term png truecolor
> 
with truecolor it works.

Matthias

sfeam schrieb:
> Matthias Pospiech wrote:
> 
>> The examples
>> (http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/demo_4.3/transparent.2.gnu) from
>> gnuplot do not work because pngcairo is unkown (using 4.4.0 RC 1).
> 
> If your system didn't build the pngcairo terminal, it is because some
> support library for cairo must be missing.  You can probably determine
> exactly what the problem is by close inspection of the messages output
> by ./configure and the details in configure.log
> 
I am using windows, so ./configure will never work...

And a college who uses gnuplot daily told me that cairo was never 
enabled on windows - why?

Matthias

Matthias Pospiech wrote:

> sfeam schrieb:
>> Matthias Pospiech wrote:
>> 
>>> The examples
>>> (http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/demo_4.3/transparent.2.gnu) from
>>> gnuplot do not work because pngcairo is unkown (using 4.4.0 RC 1).
>> 
>> If your system didn't build the pngcairo terminal, it is because some
>> support library for cairo must be missing.  You can probably determine
>> exactly what the problem is by close inspection of the messages output
>> by ./configure and the details in configure.log
>> 
> I am using windows, so ./configure will never work...
> 
> And a college who uses gnuplot daily told me that cairo was never
> enabled on windows - why?

I do not know what he means by that.
It is enabled or not according to what is installed on the build system,
and the configuration options chosen by the person who builds it.
I believe you can download a recent windows build with cairo support
from http://www.tatsuromatsuoka.com/gnuplot/Eng/winbin/

        Ethan

sfeam wrote:
>> And a college who uses gnuplot daily told me that cairo was never
>> enabled on windows - why?
> 
> I do not know what he means by that.
> It is enabled or not according to what is installed on the build system,
> and the configuration options chosen by the person who builds it.
> I believe you can download a recent windows build with cairo support
> from http://www.tatsuromatsuoka.com/gnuplot/Eng/winbin/
> 
>         Ethan

Well, the windows binaries available from gnuplot.info come without
*cairo - support, and everybody is using those. That�s all.
Unfortunately that isn�t mentioned on the web-page, so people keep
on wondering why the heck they can�t make .pdfs ... ;-)

Greetings,
 Karl

Karl Ratzsch schrieb:
> sfeam wrote:
>>> And a college who uses gnuplot daily told me that cairo was never
>>> enabled on windows - why?
>> I do not know what he means by that.
>> It is enabled or not according to what is installed on the build system,
>> and the configuration options chosen by the person who builds it.
>> I believe you can download a recent windows build with cairo support
>> from http://www.tatsuromatsuoka.com/gnuplot/Eng/winbin/
>>
>>         Ethan
> 
> Well, the windows binaries available from gnuplot.info come without
> *cairo - support, and everybody is using those. 
Why? IF cairo builds on windows why is it not included?

Matthias